Are We All We Are
by GarconSolitaire
Summary: Manhattan, 2011: It's been four years since Brooke Davis left Tree Hill to pursue her dreams of becoming a leading fashion designer. Despite initially creating Clothes Over Bros as a way to mend her broken heart, Brooke has finally found happiness with Ryan Atwood. With their relationship becoming more serious, however, have the two of them really gotten over their first loves?
1. Summary

In this alternate universe, **_Are We All We Are_**, a group of strangers will come together to form a close bond during their many misadventures in Manhattan.

The year is 2011; four years ago, **Brooke Davis** left Tree Hill, North Carolina, to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. With her company, Clothes Over Bro's, continuously growing steadily to become a household name across the United States and Canada, the twenty-year-old Brooke found herself at odds with her demanding career and with her mother. In her attempts to mend her broken heart after her break-up with acclaimed novelist Lucas Scott, Brooke inadvertently alienated herself from Manhattan society and the world, for that matter.

All of that changed, however, when Manhattan newcomer **Ryan Atwood** quite literally ran into Brooke while going for a jog in Central Park. Despite her initial refusal to accept Ryan's offer for a new coffee, seeing as how he had caused her to spill her Starbucks latte all over her sketches for C/B's new line, Brooke eventually caved and agreed to have coffee with the handsome stranger. That was over a year ago, and Brooke and Ryan have recently decided to move in together; but have these two really gotten over their first loves? Has Brooke truly let go of Lucas, and has Ryan finally come to terms with the death of Marissa Cooper?

Meanwhile, NYU sophomores **Blair Waldorf** and **Dan Humphrey** have both applied for internships at the C/B fashion magazine _B. Davis_. The two former friends, er…acquaintances, are now in a competition to keep their spots and to prove to their new boss which of them deserves it more. With Blair's best friend and Dan's former flame, Serena van der Woodsen, having transferred to Brown over the break, it seemed as though the two would never cross paths again; fate, however, has shown it has other plans in store for these two. Perhaps their fighting and bickering is an excuse for something more?

Other characters set to appear as series regulars are **Nate Archibald**, **Anna Stern**, **Rachel Gatina**, and **Eric van der Woodsen**, while guest appearances will include **Chuck Bass**, **Vanessa Abrams**, **Taylor Townsend**, **Seth Cohen**, and **Juliet Sharp**.


	2. Prologue, part I: Boys Like You

_**Are We All We Are**_

**Prologue, part I: "Boys Like You"**

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_"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." ―P. J. O'Rourke_

* * *

**Manhattan, New York City, NY • July 2009**

Standing in line at the Starbucks on West 57th Street, Brooke Davis was anxious to give her order and head out. Normally, Brooke wouldn't be in such a hurry at this hour on a Sunday morning, or ordering her own mocha double latte for that matter, but today was significant. Today, Brooke was to present the sketches for her new 2010 Spring Collection to representatives from _Vanity Fair_ magazine, who was interested in showcasing the up-and-coming young designer in their next issue.

With her coffee now in hand and with another hour until the _Vanity Fair_ meeting, Brooke had decided to try and calm her nerves by strolling through Central Park. Reminding her of Tree Hill, Brooke could always escape from the hectic world of Manhattan just by walking through the park, with nothing but the trees towering above her. On this particular day, she had decided she wished to see one of her favorite spots in the park: the Bethesda Terrace. True, the terrace was a good twenty-minute walk from her apartment at Columbus Circle, but with its sweeping passages and the soothing sound of the fountain, Brooke considered it sanctuary.

When she finally reached the terrace, Brooke noticed there were several tourists strolling around and taking photos of themselves in front of Bethesda Fountain. Wishing to find a quiet place away from all of the people, and so that the trip wasn't a _total_ waste of time, Brooke decided to venture toward the Bow Bridge. Halfway to the bridge, however, Brooke glanced at her iPhone to check the time, just to be sure she would have enough time to walk to Central Park West to hail a cab. While looking at her phone, however, one of the park's many, many joggers plowed straight into Brooke as they came across the bend in the path; Brooke, whose white top was now covered with the remainder of her latte, screamed in shock.

"What the hell?! Are you being serious right now?!" Brooke exclaimed, not at the jogger but at no one in particular.  
"Uh, I'm really sorry about that. Besides your top… thing… is anything else ruined?" the jogger asked.  
"Hmph. This 'top thing' is called a blouse, and it's ck Calvin Klein, for your information. And I don't think so; as far as I can tell it spilled over my chest and not anywhere else."  
"I can see that."

With that sly remark, Brooke raised an eyebrow as she began to take notice of the jogger… the very handsome, blond, and _shirtless_ jogger. Glancing into those gorgeous blue eyes of his, then looking over his sweaty, toned chest and stomach, and then back to his eyes, Brooke couldn't help but begin to feel light-headed and flirtatious. Embarrassed at how she had yelled at him, Brooke tried to start over.

"I'm sorry; it's just been an extremely hectic week already, then to add to that I have my perfectly good Starbucks spilled over my new Calvin Klein blouse… today. Today, of all days. Ugh! Can my life get any worse?! Heh… I'm doing it again. I'm Brooke, by the way. Brooke Davis; overly-stressed, twenty-year-old woman who makes clothes for a living."  
"Haha. You're fine. I'm Ryan… Atwood; college student and aspiring architect. I'm visiting New York to tour the university's campus."  
"Oh. Which one?"  
"NYU. I'm currently going to Berkeley, but I've been wanting to transfer somewhere closer to Providence so I can see my brother more often. Are you sure you're alright? I did run into you pretty hard."  
"I'm fine. Nothing a change of clothes can't fix. But I really need to get going if I'm going to make it to work on time."  
"Come on, let me at least buy you a new coffee. With extra foam, too; if you even like foam, that is."  
"You're cute, Ryan. But I'm not buying this whole good-looking, bad boy/nice guy act you've got going on. First it's coffee, then it's a romantic first date, then it's a night over at my place and you're gone forever. And you should know, I don't sleep with anyone on the first date, so try your charm on someone else, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me, I really have to get going."  
"You think you've got me right down to a T, don't you?"  
"No, I know I do; I've dated guys like you before, and nothing ever comes out of experiences with guys like you except pregnancy scares, no phone calls, and, if I'm _really_ lucky, good sex."  
"Let me prove to you that I'm different than those other guys, the ones with the pregnancy scares and the no phone calls, I mean. I'd like to think I can be grouped in with that last category, unless there's an 'amazing sex' category."

Looking at Brooke, Ryan could tell she was at least amused by him, which was definitely a good sign.

"Come on, let me buy you a new coffee. Or, if you really are rushed for time, let me take you out to lunch tomorrow. My treat."

Staring at Ryan Atwood in a very cynical manner, Brooke couldn't help but believe this guy and all his charms. She didn't know what it was, but something about this boy peaked her interest and made her feel comfortable. Maybe it was his smile, or perhaps the way he was looking at her. Who knows, but whatever it was, it worked.

"Fine. Meet me at Teleon on West 56th Street for lunch tomorrow. One o'clock. And if you stiff me, I'll come and find you and strangle you until your eyes pop out of your head."  
"No need for that. Teleon, West 66th Street, one o'clock."  
"West 56th Street."  
"Right. So I'll see you tomorrow. Until then."

With that, Ryan smiled and jokingly half-bowed in front of her. On the verge of laughing at Ryan's small performance, Brooke simply smiled and began walking toward Central Park West to get a taxi.

**Half an hour later…**

After having changed her blouse, Brooke made her way to Clothes Over Bro's for the meeting with _Vanity Fair_. When the young fashion designer walked into the meeting room, she noticed she was four minutes late and proceeded to gather her presentation for the magazine. Taking out her sketchbook, she felt something cold and moist, only to realize it was her sketchbook. As she frantically flipped through the book to see if her sketches had survived the wrath of the mocha, Victoria Davis walked into the room.

"Brooke, what on earth are you doing? Those aren't your sketches, are they?"

Taking the sketches from Brooke, Victoria looked them over and realized the designs for the spring line had been ruined. Whispering to Brooke, "I can't believe you could be so stupid and irresponsible! You know how much the new line and the launch of the magazine is counting on this _Vanity Fair_ piece!"  
Now addressing the representatives from _Vanity Fair_, Victoria attempted to salvage the situation.

"It seems as though our designer has mistakenly brought the wrong sketchbook to the meeting. Would it be alright if we showed you a small preview of our fall collection, instead? I know that's not what we had talked about over the phone, but…"  
"Oh, that would be perfectly fine. We have been dying to see what C/B and the talented Brooke Davis have in store for next season."  
"Perfect. Well, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I will be right back with some samples from the fall line."

Turning to leave the conference room, Victoria Davis glared right at Brooke, who had seen that evil glare enough times before to know that there would be another huge argument and screaming match before the day was over. _How could I have been so careless? Victoria's right, though, and if she finds out about Ryan, it'll only make things worse. God. Remember when she thought Lucas was proposing to me? Yeah, I don't think I want to go through something like that again…_

With her mother out of the room, Brooke proceeded to answer the questions from the writers at _Vanity Fair_.


End file.
